a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a robotic catheter system and method for automated control of a catheter and related components, including a control system capable of being used in conjunction with a robotic catheter system to provide a certain or desired minimal tension on catheter steering wires in connection with medical applications or procedures.
b. Background Art
Electrophysiology catheters are used in a variety of diagnostic and/or therapeutic medical procedures to correct conditions such as atrial arrhythmia, including for example, ectopic atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and atrial flutter. Arrhythmia can cause a variety of serious medical conditions including irregular heart rates, loss of synchronous atrioventricular contractions, and stasis of blood flow.
Typically in a procedure, a catheter is manipulated through a patient's vasculature to, for example, a patient's heart, and carries one or more electrodes which may be used for mapping, ablation, diagnosis, and/or other treatments. After being positioned at an intended site, the catheter may be used to provide therapeutic treatment to the patient, such treatment may include radio frequency (RF) ablation, cryoablation, laser, chemicals, high-intensity focused ultrasound, or various other treatments. An ablation catheter commonly imparts ablative energy or chemicals to cardiac tissue to create a lesion in the cardiac tissue. The lesion can disrupt undesirable electrical pathways and serve to limit or prevent stray electrical signals that can lead to arrhythmias. Such treatments can require precise control of the catheter during manipulation to and at the treatment site, which can oftentimes be a function of a user's skill level.
The inventors herein have recognized a desire for a system and method for more precise and dynamic automated or semi-automated control of a catheter and its related components, for example, for diagnostic, therapeutic, mapping and ablative procedures, that help to minimize and/or eliminate procedural variability attendant to a user's skill level. The inventors herein have also recognized a need for a system and method for performing user-specified procedures at the patient site or from a remote location.